En la mitología grecorromana, Aracne (en griego antiguo ἀράχνη, ‘araña’) fue una gran tejedora mortal que alardeó de ser más habilidosa que Minerva, la equivalente romana de Palas Atenea, diosa de la artesanía. La diosa ofendida organizó un concurso entre la dos pero, según Ovidio, no pudo superar a Aracne. Además, el tema elegido por Aracne, los amores de los dioses, fue ofensivo, lo que hizo que Minerva la transformase en una araña

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In Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne (pronounced /əˈrækni/) was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Minerva, the Latin parallel of Pallas Athena, goddess of crafts. Arachne refused to acknowledge that her knowledge came, in part at least, from the goddess. The offended goddess set a contest between the two weavers. According to Ovid, the goddess was so envious of the magnificent tapestry and the mortal weaver's success, and perhaps offended by the girl's choice of subjects (the loves and transgressions of the gods), that she destroyed the tapestry and loom and slashed the girl's face. “Not even Pallas nor blue-fevered Envy \ Could damn Arachne's work. \ The gold haired goddess Raged at the girl's success, struck through her loom, Tore down the scenes of wayward joys in heaven.″ Ultimately, the goddess turned Arachne into a spider.

source: wikipedia